


Uncover

by jeongbaeyah



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Affairs, Angst, Cheating, F/F, Fluff, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26230909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeongbaeyah/pseuds/jeongbaeyah
Summary: Nayeon allowed Jeongyeon to pull her into the car, the pair settling in the backseat with Nayeon sitting on Jeongyeon’s lap, legs wrapped around the blonde’s waist.“I told them I needed to clear my head, get some fresh air. That should buy us about 20 minutes or so,” Jeongyeon quickly explained before burying her face in Nayeon’s neck.Nayeon answered by sliding her hands across Jeongyeon’s abdomen, her fingers finding Jeongyeon’s belt and hastily unbuckling it. “Works for me.”orNayeon and Jeongyeon have an affair.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Myoui Mina/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 18
Kudos: 192
Collections: Girl Group Jukebox - Mixtape Round





	Uncover

**Author's Note:**

> Written for GG Jukebox Mixtape Round, inspired by Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Three shots of soju, please,” Nayeon breathed out, finally managing to maneuver her way through the crowd to place a drink order at the bar, an endeavor that required her to exert more effort than she wanted to.

The bartender nodded his head in silent understanding, making no attempt to dissuade her from drinking so quickly—not that Nayeon was surprised. He was making money off her, after all. The drunker she got, the more drinks she would order, and the more likely she was to tip him generously. She certainly wouldn’t be hearing any complaints from him.

“Must’ve been a really shitty week for you to order more shots than you have hands for.”

Nayeon turned her head to see the source of the voice, not expecting to be met by a sharp-dressed young woman sitting on the bar stool beside her, an amused smile plastered on her face.

“It’s a long story. Don’t even get me started,” Nayeon shook her head, her brain still refusing to process how her boss had, once again, passed her up for a promotion. She’d spent years toiling away at this company with nothing to show for it, and the thought of it made Nayeon see red, so she willed herself to think about _anything_ else.

The blonde stranger—Jeongyeon, as Nayeon would later learn—was unfazed, offering another smile. “That’s okay. I have time.”

Nayeon paused for a moment, taking in the woman before her and considering the offer for company. “Buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” She flashed a smirk, an unexpected bout of confidence coming from God knows where.

“I’ll buy you _two_ ,” Jeongyeon one-upped her. “I want to know everything.”

––

“I can’t believe you just quit your job like that and started your own company!” Nayeon didn’t even bother to mask the awe in her voice, impressed that Jeongyeon, who wasn’t even thirty years old, had taken such a bold step. “That’s incredible.” And risky. And a really fucking baller move. And something Nayeon would never have the guts to do.

In the course of two hours, Nayeon learned enough about Jeongyeon to know that the other woman was so much cooler than her, so much more accomplished.

The pair had spent the last hour exchanging “fun facts” about each other, and Nayeon couldn’t help but feel like a loser compared to Jeongyeon, especially when the first fun fact she’d (proudly) shared about herself was that she’d won the school spelling bee every single year, except in the last year of middle school when she was forced to sit out the competition due to a bad case of mono. Livid that her lengthy reign as spelling bee champion was over, she swore she would never kiss Jackson Wang, or any other boy, ever again.

Jeongyeon, meanwhile, casually bragged that she enjoyed skydiving and had skydived in four continents. Adding to her impressive resume, she also spoke five languages. Nayeon made her say a few words in each, just to make sure Jeongyeon wasn’t lying—not that Nayeon could verify, since she didn’t know a lick of Japanese or Mandarin.

“Is there anything you _can’t_ do?” Nayeon asked, shaking her head in disbelief as Jeongyeon finished performing a magic trick.

“Yeah, actually,” Jeongyeon nodded her head. “I can’t wink to save my life.” She scrunched up her face, straining to keep her right eye open while shutting her left eye, but ultimately failing.

“You’re unbelievable.”

––

“Thanks for splitting the cab home with me. Those things can get really expensive,” Nayeon said gratefully, giving Jeongyeon a small smile of appreciation.

“Not a problem,” Jeongyeon replied, returning Nayeon’s smile with one of her own. “I was happy to have the company.”

They stood outside Nayeon’s building, an old and somewhat run-down apartment complex, but at least it didn’t burn a hole in her wallet every month. It wasn’t fancy, by any means, but it allowed Nayeon to save a considerable chunk of her paychecks, hopefully to invest in a house of her own someday. 

“Do you want to come up?” Nayeon broke the silence, hoping Jeongyeon was unable to detect the nervousness in her voice. She was _terrible_ at reading signals and had no idea if the chemistry she’d sensed between her and the blonde at the bar was indeed real or something she’d just imagined, her lack of recent intimacy and general loneliness making her see things that weren’t really there.

“Sure,” Jeongyeon smiled, gesturing for Nayeon to lead the way. “After you.”

The pair entered the building, walking into a small, dated lobby. Nayeon made a beeline for the stairs. “Sorry, the elevator’s broken, so we have to take the stairs,” she offered an excuse, suddenly feeling self-conscious about living where she did, wishing her lack of a luxurious abode didn’t lose her points in Jeongyeon’s book.

“That’s okay. I have strong legs.” Jeongyeon grinned, and Nayeon could feel fluttering in her stomach and her cheeks burning. How could someone be so charming?

––

After briefly panicking, thinking that she’d lost her keys, only to find it in the depths of her purse, Nayeon finally managed to open her front door. She ushered Jeongyeon inside her small, studio apartment, silently regretting that she hadn’t cleaned up earlier—not that she had any way of knowing she would be entertaining a guest that night. “Sorry, it’s kind of a mess.”

“You’re totally fine,” Jeongyeon waved her hand, her eyes scanning the room and taking in the minimalist décor. A few photographs hung on the wall—some framed while others, the Polaroids, looked haphazardly stuck on. Not much of a social butterfly, Nayeon’s pictures contained the same rotation of people—her mother, sister, and best friend Jihyo making repeat appearances. 

“Make yourself at home. Do you want anything to drink?” Nayeon asked, instinctively making her way to the kitchen area.

Jeongyeon let out a chuckle as she plopped down on Nayeon’s bed, which, in the absence of a proper sofa, also served as the couch. “Did you not drink enough at the bar?”

“Hey! I don’t need you judging my poor life choices!” Nayeon yelled defensively, her lips forming into a pout, which drew more laughter from Jeongyeon.

“No one’s judging here,” Jeongyeon raised her hands. “I’m just a little worried about your liver.”

“Well, aren’t you just the perfect gentlewoman?” Nayeon teased, opening up her freezer and retrieving a large tub of ice cream. She then grabbed two spoons from a drawer and made her way back to Jeongyeon, taking a seat right beside the blonde. “Just got a craving for something sweet. Do you want some?” she offered a spoon.

“What flavor is it?” Jeongyeon asked, taking the spoon before she even got an answer from the brunette.

“Vanilla,” Nayeon answered, popping open the lid, and earning another amused chuckle from Jeongyeon. “What was that for? Are you judging my ice cream choices too?”

“No, not at all,” Jeongyeon denied the accusation, reaching to dig her spoon into the tub, only to be met by Nayeon’s arm, cutting off her access to the dessert.

“Nope. You don’t get any now, since you’re being a meanie.” Nayeon shook her head vigorously, and as if to prove her point, she scooped a spoonful of the ice cream into her mouth, savoring the taste and the fact that her rude companion couldn’t have any.

Jeongyeon simply sat and watched as Nayeon took a few more bites of the ice cream.

Nayeon, on the other hand, was more than happy to let Jeongyeon stare at her helplessly. “Mmmm, this is _so_ good,” she exaggerated her gloating, licking her spoon clean and eliciting an eyeroll from the blonde.

Jeongyeon allowed Nayeon to taunt her for a bit longer before finally cutting off the brunette. “Alright, you’ve made your point. Can I get a taste now?”

Nayeon stopped to consider Jeongyeon’s request, and after a few seconds of deliberation, decided to put the other woman out of her misery. “I guess you’ve suffered enough. Here,” she grinned, extending the container to Jeongyeon.

But Jeongyeon was apparently no longer interested in the ice cream.

It took Nayeon a few seconds to process Jeongyeon’s mouth crashing into hers, the shock of the kiss causing the brunette to drop the tub of ice cream on the floor. Save for a light gasp, Nayeon’s body froze in place, the feeling of Jeongyeon’s soft, warm lips making her brain short-circuit, all motor skills lost as she’s rendered completely immobile.

Jeongyeon’s hand found Nayeon’s face, and Nayeon didn’t know how Jeongyeon could cup her face so gently but, at the same time, kiss her with a hunger Nayeon’s never been kissed with before. 

And Nayeon did her best to match Jeongyeon’s intensity—their tongues clashing against each other, lips growing more swollen by the second.

Nayeon didn’t want to stop, not when Jeongyeon was _still_ going, but her need for oxygen eventually won out. She pulled away, shoulders heaving as she tried to regain her breath. Jeongyeon seemed just as starved for air as she was, her panting almost loud enough to drown out the pounding of Nayeon’s heart. _Almost_.

It was Nayeon who broke the kiss, so she decided it was her rightful duty to bring things back to the way they were.

Nayeon yanked Jeongyeon forward by the shirt, closing the gap between them once again. Rendered off-balance by the force of Nayeon’s pull, Jeongyeon fell forward. Nayeon felt her back hit the mattress, Jeongyeon landing on top of her, neither of the two missing a beat with the switch in position.

Nayeon didn’t usually go this far on first dates, usually saving sex for at least date three or when the relationship became official, but with Jeongyeon, she was willing to throw all rules out the window. She wasn’t sure what it was about this girl that made her want to disregard every tried and true defense mechanism in her book.

But as Jeongyeon left a trail of hot kisses down her bare chest and stomach, the blonde’s eyes searching Nayeon’s as she hooked her fingers through the belt loops of Nayeon’s jeans, Nayeon could only nod. She was far beyond the point of saying no.

Nayeon’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, one set of fingers gripping the bedsheets and the other fisting Jeongyeon’s hair.

It had been a while since anyone had made her feel like this, made her feel _wanted_.

Her last few relationships were a revolving door of break-ups, each one more disastrous and painful than the one before it.

But in a matter of one night, Yoo Jeongyeon had come in, threatening to dismantle Nayeon’s carefully constructed walls, and Nayeon was perfectly content to let her.

––

The throbbing headache Nayeon woke up with only served as evidence of the eventful night she had. By her third hour at the bar, she had already lost count of how many drinks she’d consumed—the beer, soju, and tequila creating a dangerous combination in her stomach. Her first thought was to go back to sleep, hoping that a few more hours of rest would magically make her hangover go away. Yet another part of her—the bigger, _hungrier_ part of her—was clamoring for food. Sighing, she buried her face in her pillow for a few more seconds before rolling over, fully expecting her back to hit the mattress, but was instead met by a human wall.

“Jeongyeon,” she blurted out, the mere name of the woman sleeping beside her triggering very specific memories from the previous night—memories that made her cheeks turn bright crimson.

Suddenly needing a glass of water, Nayeon rid herself of the comforter covering her otherwise naked body and slid out of bed. The instant her feet touched the laminate wooden floor, however, they were met with a sticky liquid. Nayeon let out a small shriek, her hand immediately covering her mouth, not wanting to wake her slumbering companion. It was the ice cream they had been sharing up until… well, up until they weren’t concerned about dessert anymore.

Nayeon stood up, ready to get a rag to clean up the mess on the floor, if only she could find her shirt.

“What are you doing?” Nayeon was snapped out of her reverie by Jeongyeon’s groggy voice.

“I need to clean up this mess,” Nayeon gestured to the puddle on the floor, to which Jeongyeon, eyes half-closed, responded with a look of confusion.

“What mess?” Jeongyeon made a half-hearted attempt to examine the “mess” Nayeon was referring to.

“The mess _you_ made, actually. This is all your fault,” Nayeon pointed fingers.

“ _My_ fault? If I remember correctly, _you’re_ the one who dropped the ice cream on the floor,” Jeongyeon defended herself.

“Because _you_ kissed _me_!” And Nayeon was about to launch into a full explanation when she saw the stupid grin on Jeongyeon’s face.

“You’re so easy to rile up,” Jeongyeon snickered.

“I’m not talking to you,” Nayeon huffed, standing back up to resume her cleaning mission. She had just turned around to leave when she felt a hand encircle her wrist, pulling her back into bed.

“Don’t leave,” Jeongyeon whined. “Come back into bed with me. We’ll deal with the mess later.”

Nayeon shook her head, determined to put up more resistance now than she had the previous night. “Stop pouting. It’s not going to work on me.”

But that was a flat-out lie. Jeongyeon’s effect was instantaneous. Her fingers scaled Nayeon’s arm, tracing smooth lines up and down, lulling Nayeon into a peaceful comfort. It wasn’t as if Nayeon had much willpower to begin with, but Jeongyeon’s delicate touch was quickly breaking down what little resolve she had.

Before Nayeon could offer another word in protest, Jeongyeon was already pulling her back in, and any thoughts of resisting quickly evaporated.

Nayeon settled on top of Jeongyeon, one leg draped over either side of the blonde. She leaned down to remind herself of how sweet Jeongyeon’s kiss was, not that she would be forgetting anytime soon. 

Jeongyeon didn’t hesitate to pull her closer, and it’s hard to ignore just how naked they both were when their bare bodies were pressed up against each other.

Nayeon, however, didn’t linger on Jeongyeon’s lips for long, choosing instead to nibble and nip down to Jeongyeon’s jaw, drawing out a satisfied moan from the woman underneath her.

The melted ice cream on the floor could wait, Nayeon decided. She had more pressing matters to attend to.

––

“So when can I see you again?” Jeongyeon’s question hung in the air, and Nayeon swore that this was the fastest she’s ever been asked out on a second date.

Trying to play it cool, Nayeon answered nonchalantly, “I think next Friday should work. I’ll have to double check.”

“You’re going to make me wait a _full week_ to see you?”

Between the disappointed frown on her face, the wrinkles on the shirt she’d just put back on, and the way her hair stuck up in all directions, Yoo Jeongyeon could not have looked any cuter. And Nayeon was only human. “Are you going to miss me that much?” she asked, again trying to contain her excitement.

“Yeah. I really am.” Jeongyeon nodded, her frown replaced by a pout that made Nayeon want to grab her by the shirt and kiss her for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

“How’s Tuesday sound?”

“Tuesday sounds perfect.”

––

Jeongyeon had adamantly refused to go, but singing karaoke together was apparently the hill that Im Nayeon was willing to die on. Nayeon had dragged an unenthusiastic Jeongyeon to her favorite _noraebang_ in Hongdae, where she and Jihyo had spent their afternoons in high school hiding from the rest of the world. ‘It’ll be fun!’ she had assured Jeongyeon, but the younger woman was doubtful, all of her memories of karaoke consisting of forced office-bonding events with her drunk colleagues from her old job.

The attendant had led them to a small, private room where the lights had already been dimmed, a small disco ball serving as the only source of brightness for the room. Not wasting any time, Nayeon had quickly made herself comfortable, taking a seat on one of the cushy leather couches and diving into the song book to find her first song.

They were now two hours into karaoke, and Nayeon was not slowing down—not with the singing, nor with the drinking. She was tossing back cocktail after cocktail, and Jeongyeon had to slyly tell the waiter to give her virgin versions. Nayeon had yet to catch on.

“Oooh! How about we sing Christmas songs next?” Nayeon’s eyes lit up, unsure why she hadn’t come up with the idea earlier, seeing as the big holiday was only four days away.

“There’s literally only like five good Christmas songs,” Jeongyeon opined.

“Oh, shush. Stop being a little Grinch,” Nayeon pressed a finger to Jeongyeon’s lips to silence her. “I’ll sing you my favorite one.”

Nayeon punched in the corresponding numbers on the _noraebang_ remote, and within seconds, the song had loaded on the screen.

“Really? Ariana Grande?” Jeongyeon questioned.

“Stop judging, and just sit back and enjoy.” Nayeon beamed, standing up at the front of the tiny room.

Nayeon cleared her throat, for some reason feeling a bit nervous, despite having already sung two dozen songs for Jeongyeon. Perhaps it was because the song’s lyrics perfectly summarized Nayeon’s hesitation when it came to this unnamed _thing_ she and Jeongyeon had. They hadn’t known each other for too long, but calling Nayeon’s feelings for Jeongyeon a mere crush would be woefully inaccurate. It might be too early to call it love, but there was just something about Jeongyeon that Nayeon couldn’t place—something that left her wanting more every time they saw each other.

 _“Santa tell me, if you’re really there… Don’t make me fall in love again if he won’t be here… next year…”_ Nayeon sung the first lines, swaying playfully to the beat.

 _“Santa tell me, if he really cares… ‘Cause I can’t give it all away if he won’t be here… next year…”_ Nayeon grabbed the tambourine laying forgotten where she had been sitting, shaking it vigorously. The sound of percussion rang through the room, forcing Jeongyeon to clap her hands over her ears, shielding them from the loud noise.

But seeing Jeongyeon’s reaction to her antics only seemed to invigorate Nayeon. She launched into the verse, tossing aside the tambourine to appease a seemingly overwhelmed Jeongyeon. _“Feeling Christmas all around… and I’m trying to play it cool… But it’s hard to focus when I see you walking ‘cross the room…”_ Nayeon took some creative liberty with the lyrics, changing the original “him” to “you” and pointing right at Jeongyeon and winking playfully right as she sang it. The gesture elicited an amused chuckle from the blonde watching her.

 _“‘Let It Snow’ is blasting out… but I won’t get in the mood… I’m avoiding every mistletoe until I know it’s true love… that he thinks of… so next Christmas… I’m not all alone…”_ Nayeon belted out the high note, earning applause from an impressed Jeongyeon.

Nayeon continued her performance, her eyes never leaving Jeongyeon as she sang. Jeongyeon, meanwhile, was looking at her with a delicate admiration. In the short time they had known each other, a simple look from Jeongyeon never failed to make Nayeon’s heart feel like it was about to leap out of her chest.

And as she reached the home stretch of the song, adding adlibs for additional acoustic flavor, Nayeon sauntered back over to where Jeongyeon sat. Without warning, she climbed onto Jeongyeon’s lap, straddling the blonde as she crooned the final lines of the song. _“Santa tell me… if he really cares… ‘Cause I can’t give it all away if he won’t be here… next year…”_

As Nayeon’s arms wrapped around Jeongyeon’s neck, Jeongyeon’s hands settled on Nayeon’s hips, holding her steady. Nayeon leaned in, touching her forehead to Jeongyeon’s and keeping still, content to sit there in near silence, the only sound being the jingle that played whenever a karaoke song finished.

It was Jeongyeon who spoke first. “I do care,” she started. “Really.” She pulled away slightly, but only to tilt Nayeon’s chin up and look her in the eyes. “I like you a lot, Nayeon. And I plan to be here next year.” She added with a grin, “Even if it’s in this _noraebang_ ,” a comment that earned a laugh from Nayeon.

There was no way Nayeon wasn’t kissing her after that.

––

“I’m warning you now, Yoo Jeongyeon. I don’t know how to ice skate, so you better not let me fall,” Nayeon threatened the blonde who, over the last week, wouldn’t stop insisting that they pay a visit to the Seoul Plaza ice skating rink, a seasonal attraction that Jeongyeon apparently never missed.

“I’m not going to let you fall,” Jeongyeon assured her, as she helped Nayeon put her gloves on. “Here, we don’t want your fingers to freeze.”

In the few weeks she’d known Jeongyeon, Nayeon had borne witness to several of Jeongyeon’s selfless acts. Convinced that Jeongyeon was an angel parading as an attractive young CEO of one of Korea’s most promising startups, Nayeon was constantly impressed by Jeongyeon’s kindness.

Not counting the regular dinners they had at Nayeon’s place, which usually ended in the pair “watching” Netflix, she and Jeongyeon had gone on several dates over the last month. One of the most memorable was the time they visited the local animal shelter, where Nayeon discovered that Jeongyeon was a habitual volunteer. She was bewildered as to how a busy woman like Jeongyeon had time to dedicate what little leisure time she had to community service,

_“Okay, fess up. What are you hiding?” Nayeon had asked Jeongyeon as the latter swept the floor of the animal cages._

_“What do you mean?” Jeongyeon’s eyebrows had knitted in confusion._

_“You’re too good to be true,” Nayeon had complained, though she wasn’t sure why. Jeongyeon was, far and away, a significant improvement over the douchebags she typically dated. “You gotta have at least one flaw.”_

_Jeongyeon had paused to rack her brains for the “flaw” Nayeon so desperately wanted to find before settling on an answer. “I like pineapple on pizza. I heard that’s frowned upon by society.”_

_The dog bone Nayeon had hurled in Jeongyeon’s direction just narrowly missed the blonde’s face._

“Are you ready to take the ice?” present-day Jeongyeon snapped Nayeon out of her thoughts.

“Hold my hand?” Nayeon reached out.

“Of course,” Jeongyeon smiled, clasping their hands together. “Now, I’m going to step onto the ice first, and you’re going to follow, okay?”

Nayeon’s nerves kicked in, preventing her from finding words, so she gave a nod instead. She took her first few steps forward, her knees buckling slightly when her skates hit the ice. “Jeongyeon, I’m going to fall,” Nayeon stammered, the fear evident in her voice.

“No, you’re not. I’ve got you,” Jeongyeon stated definitively, signaling her commitment to preventing disaster. “Keep one foot steady and use the other one to push off the ice, then glide.”

Chalk it up to Jeongyeon’s guidance or some higher power watching over her, Nayeon’s face miraculously did not meet the ice. Despite the occasional slip-ups, she managed to keep her balance and even enjoy herself.

“Now, aren’t you glad I dragged you out here today?” Jeongyeon grinned, obviously pleased with herself for putting together a successful date.

“Y-yeah, yeah. It’s not s-so bad,” Nayeon shivered, the windchill making it feel colder than it actually was.

“Oh, shit. You’re freezing,” Jeongyeon sounded alarmed. “I’m sorry.” She unraveled the scarf shielding her neck from the bitter Korean winter, draping it around Nayeon to give her an extra layer of warmth. “Is that better?”

“Mostly,” Nayeon mustered a small smile.

“Do you need another coat?” The concern was etched on Jeongyeon’s face. She was ready to take off her puffer down jacket and put it on Nayeon, but the brunette quickly shook her head no.

“You don’t have to do that. My body’s all covered up, so I’m fine. It’s just my face that’s cold from the wind.” Nayeon tried to quell Jeongyeon’s worrying.

Jeongyeon stopped skating, conveniently in the center of the rink, obstructing the flow of traffic.

“Jeongyeon! What are you doing?” Nayeon did not enjoy being on the receiving end of a number of annoyed glares from other skaters, clearly frustrated at the new obstacle blocking their path in the form of Nayeon and Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon gave no answer to Nayeon’s question. Instead, she positioned herself in front of the older woman, her hands reaching up to cradle the brunette’s face. Before Nayeon could remind her that they were blocking a skating lane, Jeongyeon leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Jeongyeon’s lips lingered there for a moment before relocating to Nayeon’s cheeks, planting a peck on each.

“Jeong…” Nayeon whispered, her voice barely audible.

It could’ve been a scene stolen from a movie. It was Christmastime in Seoul—December 24th, to be exact. The lights from the giant Christmas tree beside the rink felt almost magical. The night’s first snowfall had just begun, light flurries descending from the sky. They were in the middle of a large crowd, but Nayeon drowned everyone else out until it seemed like they were the only two people there.

The two of them had shared plenty of kisses up to this point, yet Nayeon had no clue how Jeongyeon could kiss her so softly, but urgently all at once. In Jeongyeon’s embrace, Nayeon felt like she could jump from one skyscraper to another without hiccup, but at the same time, reduced to silly putty. 

“Jeong…” Nayeon breathed against Jeongyeon’s lips.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of kissing you,” Jeongyeon confessed, her lips hovering over Nayeon’s.

“I don’t want you to get tired of me, period,” Nayeon expressed her worst fear when it came to whatever _this_ was between her and Jeongyeon.

“I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening anytime soon.”

Yoo Jeongyeon was a liar, Nayeon concluded. At the start of the evening, Jeongyeon had promised not to let Nayeon fall. And while Jeongyeon had done her best to prevent Nayeon from landing on the ice and was successful in her endeavor, Jeongyeon had failed miserably in stopping Nayeon from falling in love.

––

“I told you that you didn’t need to get me anything!” Jeongyeon frowned, reluctantly taking the long, wrapped box Nayeon had waved in front of her face.

“I know, but I wanted to. It’s nothing crazy. I just wanted to show you a token of my appreciation.” They weren’t officially dating, so extravagant gifts were a no-no in Nayeon’s eyes. But at the same time, she thought it would be weird if she didn’t get Jeongyeon anything for Christmas.

Jeongyeon carefully unwrapped the gift, her mouth forming a wide smile when she opened the box and fished out a navy blue silk tie.

“I thought you might want to add another one to the collection,” Nayeon explained before Jeongyeon even got a chance to react. “You were wearing one the night we first met.”

“It’s totally my taste. Thank you, Nayeon. I love it.” Jeongyeon planted a quick peck on her lips to express her gratitude. “Now, my turn.” She pulled out her own wrapped package.

“Are you kidding me? You gave me shit for getting you a present when _you_ also got me something?” Nayeon rolled her eyes, scoffing at Jeongyeon’s hypocrisy. But it was obvious that she wasn’t actually upset; in fact, she was excited to see what Jeongyeon had up her sleeve.

“It’s nothing big, just a little something I thought you might like.”

Unlike Jeongyeon who had taken great care in unwrapping her gift, Nayeon simply ripped her gift open, revealing a brown, leather-bound journal with her initials embossed on the cover. “Oh, my God, Jeong.”

“I’ve seen napkins lying around here with your handwriting on them, so I was thinking you might find it useful to have somewhere you can store the lyrics you come up with,” Jeongyeon explained. “And I know you generally have a lot on your mind, so I wanted you to have a place where you can feel free to just dump everything.”

It was ridiculous to be crying over a _journal_ of all things, but Jeongyeon’s thoughtfulness was something rare. Nayeon was under the impression that, on most days, no one paid attention to her. But Jeongyeon’s words, combined with her gift, made Nayeon realize that Jeongyeon _saw_ her. Jeongyeon took the time to observe her, learning her habits and quirks, and loved her even more for them.

“Thank you” was all Nayeon could say, mustering a teary smile.

“You’re welcome.” Jeongyeon matched Nayeon’s smile with one of her own. “Merry Christmas, Nayeon.”

Nayeon paused to take a deep breath, taking in the sight of Jeongyeon sitting cross-legged beside the small Christmas tree they’d quickly decorated a week ago, clad in a red and green plaid pajama set and a Santa hat. And honestly, that was the greatest gift of all.

“Merry Christmas, Jeongyeon.”

––

“You know, normally I just sit in bed, stick a movie on TV, and drink a bottle of wine by myself, so compared to _that_ , this is a bit overkill.” Nayeon wasn’t sure whether to be alarmed or impressed that Jeongyeon’s idea of ringing in the new year involved an extravagant party on the rooftop of the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul. It was luxurious—perhaps unnecessarily so—but these glamorous opportunities were few and far in between for Nayeon, so why not indulge herself?

Servers were walking around with trays of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne, and Nayeon, unaccustomed to such treatment, happily devoured as much food and drink as her petite figure could let her, to Jeongyeon’s amusement.

“So, five minutes left in 2020,” Jeongyeon started, taking a sip of her wine. “How would you rate it?”

Nayeon pursed her lips, pondering Jeongyeon’s question for a few seconds before settling on a response. “It started off a bit rocky, but it definitely got better toward the end.” No doubt Jeongyeon had played a huge part of that. “How was it for you?”

“Same, actually,” Jeongyeon nodded her head in agreement. “Had a rough start to the year, but I’m glad I ended up going to that bar.”

Nayeon could feel the butterflies in her stomach start back up again. “I’m glad too.”

The crowd around them started to cheer, the anticipation leading up to midnight building.

“Any resolutions for 2021?” Jeongyeon asked, curious as ever.

“I don’t know. I’ve stopped making any because I usually only go two to three weeks before giving up on them,” Nayeon laughed sheepishly.

Jeongyeon joined her in laughing. “That’s totally fair.”

“But if I _were_ someone who made resolutions, I think I’d want to try being braver,” Nayeon explained. “I think a lot of the time, I want something, but I never go for it. I just… I kind of give up quickly, tell myself I don’t really want it or need it.”

Jeongyeon’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why is that?”

Nayeon shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess sometimes I’m afraid to want things, or I feel like I don’t deserve the things I do want.”

Jeongyeon didn’t say anything, and Nayeon felt her insides squirm. She blamed herself for making the conversation awkward and turning it into something serious when all Jeongyeon was probably doing was trying to keep a lighthearted conversation going before the 60-second countdown started.

“You deserve the world, Nayeon,” Jeongyeon said with a firmness in her voice that chipped away at the insecurities Nayeon had harbored for years. “Don’t ever settle for anything less than that.”

Nayeon barely managed to get out a “thank you” when a yell of “sixty!” erupted from the crowd, signaling the start of the countdown.

“Come here.” Jeongyeon slid close to Nayeon, snaking her arms around the brunette’s waist and holding her from behind. On instinct, Nayeon leaned back, sinking her body and heart into everything Jeongyeon was offering her. It felt like she was free falling into the unknown—no parachute in sight—yet somehow, she was confident Jeongyeon would be there to catch her at the bottom.

“Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one!” The crowd shouted in unison. “Happy New Year!”

Nayeon couldn’t help but jump at the sound of fireworks exploding in the distance above the Han River, illuminating the Seoul skyline. Mesmerized, she stood there in admiration of the lights twinkling in an otherwise pitch-black sky. “Wow,” she breathed out. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Mmmm,” Jeongyeon hummed in response.

Nayeon found it in herself to look away from the fireworks show, turning around so that she was now face to face with Jeongyeon. “Be my girlfriend,” Nayeon said with an uncharacteristic confidence. Chalk it up to the new year or the little pep talk Jeongyeon had given her earlier—Nayeon couldn’t identify the catalyst for her outburst. But either way, she no longer wanted to hide her feelings. “I want _you_ , Yoo Jeongyeon.”

To Nayeon, it seemed like an eternity had passed. In reality, only seconds had elapsed between Nayeon’s confession and Jeongyeon’s leaning in, their lips meeting in a kiss that felt all too familiar.

“I’ve wanted to make you mine since that very first night at the bar,” Jeongyeon murmured against Nayeon’s left ear.

“I’m all yours.” Nayeon sucked in a breath as Jeongyeon nibbled her ear.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jeongyeon suggested.

There was no universe in which Nayeon would ever say no to that. 

––

The next two weeks were pure bliss for Nayeon, characterized by late nights, lazy mornings, and a complete lack of productivity in between. Being with Jeongyeon was addicting, and Nayeon wanted to spend every waking second with her.

“What am I going to do when you go back to work?” Nayeon pouted, cuddling closer into Jeongyeon as the two of them lay entangled in the bedsheets.

“Sit at home and knit?” Jeongyeon remarked, her comment earning her a light slap on the shoulder from Nayeon.

“But really, I’m not going to be able to stop thinking about you at work.” Nayeon’s productivity had already been dropping lately, and she anticipated that it would only get worse when Jeongyeon became busy as well and they saw each other less.

“Maybe that’s the plan—to make sure you can’t get me out of your head,” Jeongyeon grinned mischievously.

Another playful smack on the shoulder. “Yoo Jeongyeon, you are a jerk!”

––

Just as Nayeon had feared, the end of the holiday season meant employees returning from vacation and businesses picking back up again. Though Nayeon found herself buried with work, forcing her to stay an extra hour on some days, Jeongyeon’s schedule was on a completely different level of hectic. As a CEO, Jeongyeon often had back-to-back meetings, making it difficult to squeeze in even quick lunches. It wasn’t uncommon for Jeongyeon to go in to work early and leave the office late, and by the time her day was over, she was far too exhausted to make the trip to Nayeon’s apartment. Not to mention that Jeongyeon had canceled on dinner plans last minute—not once, but _twice_ —because “something came up.”

It had been almost two full weeks since the last time the pair had seen each other, and Nayeon was sorely missing Jeongyeon’s company. Frustrated at the sudden lack of Jeongyeon in her life, Nayeon turned to her best friend Jihyo, who had come over for a _jjajangmyeon_ dinner, for advice.

“Why don’t you set up a dinner for this Friday night? Don’t even ask, just say it’s happening. You don’t want to give her a chance to say no,” Jihyo, in all her wisdom, advised.

“But what if she can’t make it? She might have meetings and stuff,” Nayeon worried.

“That’s why you’re texting her to make Friday plans a Monday. That’s _plenty_ of time for her to rearrange things on her end to make dinner work,” Jihyo reasoned.

Sighing as she fished her phone out of her purse, Nayeon started to type a message to Jeongyeon. “What do I say?” she looked to her best friend for counsel.

“Say what I just told you,” Jihyo instructed, coaching Nayeon word for word.

_Im Nayeon [7:14 pm]: I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while. Let’s do dinner Friday night. There’s this new restaurant in Gangnam-gu I’ve been meaning to try. Come and I’ll make sure you get dessert after ;)_

“Gross,” Jihyo retched. “You did _not_ need to read that last part out to me.”

“I have to make it worth her while,” Nayeon defended her text.

“Having dinner with you should be plenty worth her while, sex or not.”

Nayeon could only roll her eyes in response to Jihyo’s remark, fixing her attention to her phone and waiting for Jeongyeon to text back.

Jihyo was long gone when Nayeon finally heard back from Jeongyeon several hours later.

_Yoo Jeongyeon [12:37 am]: Sorry for the super late reply. Had a crazy day of meetings back to back to back. Also got yelled at, which wasn’t fun. Down for dinner and dessert on Friday tho! Can’t wait to see you then. Good night, baby. And sweet dreams (of me) ;)_

Admittedly, not hearing from Jeongyeon for several hours at a time was frustrating, but the moment she read her girlfriend’s text, Nayeon felt a pang of guilt for feeling annoyed. Of course Jeongyeon wanted to talk to her, but she was overwhelmed at work. Nayeon couldn’t fault her for that. And as she drifted away to sleep, she mentally scolded herself for thinking the worst of Jeongyeon, silently vowing to be a more understanding partner.

––

Nayeon had just finished applying the final touches of her make-up, stepping back to examine her reflection in the mirror. She was pleased with how she looked. Her long, brown hair cascaded down her back, falling loosely in light curls. She wore bright red lipstick, Jeongyeon’s favorite shade on her.

The week had dragged when all Nayeon had wanted to do was see Jeongyeon, missing her girlfriend more and more as it got closer to Friday.

Nayeon reached for her phone, ready to text Jeongyeon and tell her that she was about to leave the apartment, when she heard the iPhone’s all-too-familiar text jingle. Eagerly, she unlocked the device, her face falling the instant she read Jeongyeon’s message.

_Yoo Jeongyeon [6:21 pm]: Babe, I’m so sorry, but something came up at work and I’m not going to make it to dinner tonight. I’m really, really sorry. I promise I will make it up to you. <3 _

To say that she was disappointed was a vast understatement. Nayeon had been so looking forward to having dinner with Jeongyeon; it was what had gotten her through the week. And now, she was back to square one, not sure when she would be seeing her girlfriend next.

_Im Nayeon [6:22 pm]: Ughhhh again?? Your job is the literal worst. :/_

_Im Nayeon [6:22 pm]: But fine, I’ll let you make it up to me. Preferably soon pls._

_Im Nayeon [6:32 pm]: Also FYI… you’re missing out._

_Im Nayeon [6:33 pm]: [image127.jpg]_

Nayeon had never done anything like it before, but she was feeling a little reckless. And instead of feeling irritated about not getting to see Jeongyeon, she figured it would be better if she could channel her pent-up energy into something more productive. She had originally planned to surprise Jeongyeon after dinner when they were back at her place—to push Jeongyeon onto her bed and have her watch Nayeon slowly take off her clothes until she was left standing only in her newly purchased black lace lingerie. But that wasn’t happening now.

Unable to give Jeongyeon the show she had intended, Nayeon settled for snapping a picture in front of her mirror. She had struggled to find the perfect angle, readjusting herself to find what worked. The image she had just texted Jeongyeon was the result.

In record time, Jeongyeon’s reply came.

_Yoo Jeongyeon [6:34 pm]: Holy fuck, Nayeon. You’re gorgeous. Damn._

_Yoo Jeongyeon [6:34 pm]: I’m not going to be able to get this image of you out of my head. Like fuck._

_Yoo Jeongyeon [6:34 pm]: Definitely going to make it up to you ASAP._

_Im Nayeon [6:35 pm]: Good. I’ll be waiting._

––

“So where exactly are you taking me?” Nayeon asked the driver of the limo that had shown up outside her office at the end of her workday. In retrospect, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea to jump into the car of a stranger without knowing the destination, but Jeongyeon had texted her saying it was part of a surprise she had planned.

“Sorry, Miss Yoo was very clear that I cannot give you any information,” the driver refused to budge, leaving Nayeon to speculate.

Nayeon could hardly contain her excitement on the entire car ride, shooting several texts to Jeongyeon and attempting to elicit hints for her final destination, to no avail.

Luckily for Nayeon, she didn’t have to wait too long before the limo came to a halt in front of a tall building surrounded by lush greenery. To her, it looked like an oasis carved out of an urban jungle.

The limo door swung open to reveal Jeongyeon, sporting her usual blazer and button-up combo, sleek pants and shiny Oxford shoes to boot. She looked _damn good_ , their time apart undoubtedly making her more attractive in Nayeon’s eyes.

Before Nayeon could even utter a greeting, Jeongyeon had already engulfed her in an embrace, their lips meeting in a needy kiss that signaled clearly that they had been far apart for too long.

“I’ve missed you,” Jeongyeon hummed against her lips.

“I’ve missed you more,” Nayeon whispered back. “Don’t ever make me wait that long to see you again.”

“I won’t, baby. I won’t,” Jeongyeon promised, and Nayeon believed her because she didn’t want to think that Jeongyeon would put her through that torture again.

For her own sake.

––

“There’s a _pool_ in this room?” Nayeon’s eyes widened at the sight of a spacious pool within their hotel room. She’d never seen anything like it before.

“Mmm-hmmm,” Jeongyeon nodded her head. “I thought it might be nice for us to take a dip and just relax. I’m sure you’ve had a long week.”

“Uh huh…” Nayeon remained awestruck. Jeongyeon’s words weren’t quite registering in her head.

Jeongyeon, meanwhile, could only laugh at Nayeon’s reaction. “The pool’s nice to look at and all, but it’s a lot better when you’re inside it.” She grinned, reaching for the tap and letting the water run and fill the tub, before shrugging off her blazer and unworking the buttons of her shirt.

“Oh! We’re hopping in now!” Frazzled, Nayeon moved to follow Jeongyeon’s lead.

In a race of who could undress more quickly, Jeongyeon emerged victorious, earning her the right to climb into the pool first. She settled into a corner spot, gesturing for Nayeon to join her. “The water’s warm. It feels nice.”

Nayeon didn’t need to be told twice. With some hesitation, she carefully entered the pool. Jeongyeon was right; the warmth of the water was a welcome sensation. She waded over to where Jeongyeon sat, and once they were face to face, Jeongyeon pulled her body in. Nayeon, as frustrated as she had been with Jeongyeon’s recent disappearing act, couldn’t find it in her heart to resist.

Nayeon let herself be swept into Jeongyeon’s kiss, her touch, her _everything_. Suddenly, it didn’t matter that Jeongyeon would go hours on end without texting her back, that she would cancel plans at the very last minute without so much as an explanation, or that the next time they saw each other, she would pretend that everything was okay, as if blowing off Nayeon wasn’t a big deal.

Nayeon’s frustrations melted away with each and every kiss Jeongyeon planted on her neck, her anger dissipating as Jeongyeon sucked hard on the exposed skin that will inevitably be bruised purple later—the exact shade of purple that was Nayeon’s favorite because it was the color of every hickey Jeongyeon had left on her body.

And as Jeongyeon kissed lower, her lips trailing down Nayeon’s chest and her hands gripping Nayeon’s waist, Nayeon forgot everything she’d been wanting to say—the “you can’t just ghost me like that” and “I deserve better” thoughts she’d been having, swallowed and never to be uttered.

“I’m sorry,” Jeongyeon mumbled against her skin, seemingly reading Nayeon’s mind. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, each time she planted a new kiss, lower and lower until she was fully submerged underwater.

Later that night, Nayeon was lying face down on the king-sized bed. Jeongyeon was straddling her, running her oiled hands up and down Nayeon’s sore body.

“Where do you want me to apply pressure?” Jeongyeon asked, digging her fingers into various parts of Nayeon’s back in an attempt to tease out the knots.

“My shoulders are pretty tense,” Nayeon’s voice was muffled by the pillow, but Jeongyeon heard her perfectly.

“You got it.” Jeongyeon adapted the massage to pay special attention to Nayeon’s shoulders, as requested, and Nayeon couldn’t hold back a satisfied moan.

“That feels nice,” Nayeon hummed.

“I just want to make you feel good, baby,” Jeongyeon leaned down to kiss the back of Nayeon’s neck. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately.” Her lips traveled to Nayeon’s shoulder blades. “I hate not seeing you. I hate not being able to talk to you. It’s really shitty when I can’t be with you because all that’s on my mind on those days is you.” More kisses down Nayeon’s back. “I just think about when I can see you next and hold you and kiss you.”

Nayeon appreciated finally getting some sort of explanation from Jeongyeon about her behavior. She felt bad for always assuming the worst.

“It’s okay,” Nayeon turned her head, looking back at her adoring girlfriend.

Jeongyeon really didn’t need to apologize any further. Nayeon had already forgiven her.

––

“What do you mean you’re running late? I thought you were almost here,” Nayeon sighed into her phone, irritation seeping in as Jeongyeon provided another excuse for her lack of punctuality. “Jeongyeon, you’ve either canceled on dinner plans or have been late basically every time we’ve gone out these last two weeks. It’s ridiculous!”

“I’m sorry,” she heard Jeongyeon apologize profusely, but Nayeon questioned her sincerity.

“Jeong, Jihyo is here, excited to meet you, and you can’t even make it on time.”

“I know, baby. Tell her I’m sorry too. I will be there as soon as I can!” Jeongyeon assured her, but Nayeon wasn’t holding her breath.

Jeongyeon ended up being an hour and a half late to dinner.

Nayeon and Jihyo had long finished their meal, and had even ordered a dessert. When Jeongyeon finally arrived at the restaurant, she offered yet another excuse, this one more creative than the last one she’d given Nayeon—something about a data security breach at work that demanded Jeongyeon do damage control ASAP.

Jeongyeon ended up not ordering any food, and her phone was blowing up left and right with messages and calls.

Nayeon made the executive decision to reschedule dinner with Jihyo. “That’s a great idea,” Jeongyeon quickly agreed. “I promise I’ll clear my schedule for that day.”

Nayeon almost believed her. _Almost_.

––

“I’m not on the list, but my name is Im Nayeon. I’m a good friend of Jeongyeon,” Nayeon pleaded her case to the security guards at the front desk in the lobby of Jeongyeon’s office building. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, but I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to take her to lunch.”

After Jeongyeon found another reason to miss dinner with Nayeon the previous night, Nayeon had decided to take matters into her own hands. Admittedly, she hadn’t fully thought out her plan. Now, here she was—trying to convince the guards to let her into the building.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. The rules are clear. If you’re not on the pre-approved security list, we can’t let you in,” the guard, once again, denied Nayeon’s request.

“If you call her, she’ll tell you that we’re good friends.” Nayeon was trying every single trick from the book. “I’m telling you, just call her and she’ll confirm who I am.”

“Ma’am, if you don’t leave the building, we’re going to have to escort you out of here,” the guard’s partner warned.

“Escort me? How dare—”

“What’s going on here?” Nayeon’s head whipped around quickly, looking for the owner of the soft, yet commanding voice that had just spoken.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Myoui, but this woman over here,” the guard gestured to Nayeon, “insists that she and Ms. Yoo are friends and demands to be permitted into the building. But security protocols say that we can’t let anybody in without security clearance,” the guard explained, shooting Nayeon a dirty look.

Ms. Myoui, as she was apparently called, pursed her lips, refraining from speaking for a moment. It allowed Nayeon to examine her more closely, taking in her features. For a lack of a better word, she was _beautiful_ —flawless light skin, long blonde hair, and tiny beauty marks adorning her perfectly shaped face. She wore a long white dress and held a large designer handbag—Gucci, if Nayeon recognized the design correctly—and carried herself in a way that was graceful, but at the same time, powerful. Nayeon wasn’t sure whether to be afraid of her or to be in awe of her.

“She can come with me,” Ms. Myoui finally spoke.

“But—”

“Please give her security clearance. I don’t want to ask again,” Ms. Myoui said with a finality in her tone.

“Yes, Ms. Myoui.” The guards rushed to comply with the woman’s request, and Nayeon could only stand there, floored at what she’d just seen play out.

––

“I’m sorry about that. Security here can be a real pain in the ass,” the woman turned to Nayeon after swiping her badge and pressing the correct floor on the elevator panel.

“Oh, no. They were just doing their job. It’s my fault, really, for randomly showing up. I really should’ve given Jeongyeon a heads up,” Nayeon felt heat on her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed that she had stupidly decided to ambush Jeongyeon at work.

“Don’t apologize. Jeongyeon’s schedule fills up quickly, so I don’t blame you for trying to squeeze yourself in. She’ll probably have some time now, since it’s the lunch hour.”

Nayeon silently nodded her head, unsure what to say to the stranger who had just saved her from getting arrested. “Thanks… Ms. Myoui?” She wasn’t sure if she’d heard the name correctly.

“Oh, gosh. Please don’t call me that. That’s my mom’s name.” She grimaced and shook her head. “It’s Mina.” She flashed a smile, and Nayeon fought the urge to stare.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mina. I’m Nayeon,” she introduced herself. “And thank you for what you did back there. I owe you one.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Nayeon.”

––

Mina led the two of them down a long hallway, to what Nayeon assumed was Jeongyeon’s office.

“Do you work here?” Nayeon asked curiously, since Mina seemed to be familiar with the office layout.

“Not officially, but I help with some things,” Mina answered, stopping in front of large double doors, which Nayeon theorized was the entrance to Jeongyeon’s office.

Mina knocked, and a muffled “come in!” could be heard from the other side of the door. Mina walked in first, and Nayeon quickly followed. Nayeon swore Jeongyeon almost dropped what she was holding when the pair of them walked in.

“Nayeon! What are you doing here?” Jeongyeon’s eyes were wide in shock, looking rather alarmed.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Nayeon smiled, trying to ignore the strange look on Jeongyeon’s face. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by and see if you were free for lunch.”

Before Jeongyeon could reply, Mina butted in. “You two should go, Jeongyeon. You and I can discuss business later. Go ahead.”

“Uh, okay,” Jeongyeon looked incredibly flustered. “Let’s do that then. Come on, Nayeon. Let’s grab some lunch.” Jeongyeon quickly ushered her out the door, leaving Mina alone in the office. “Well, this is a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know you’re super busy at work, but you have to eat. So I figured I would try to see you over lunch, see if you’re free then, and it turns out you are,” Nayeon explained her rationale, her hand reaching for Jeongyeon’s.

Jeongyeon, however, pulled her hand away, placing it on Nayeon’s back instead. “So where do you want to eat?”

––

There was something off, and Nayeon knew it. Though she couldn’t place it, Jeongyeon had been acting strange, not meeting her eyes over lunch and acting fidgety. Jeongyeon had also barely touched her food, poking around at the noodles, but not taking too many bites.

“What’s wrong, Jeong?” Nayeon finally asked, unable to handle the tension in the air. “You’ve been acting weird this whole time, like you’re not really that thrilled to see me. And it seems like you haven’t been that excited to spend time with me lately. What’s going on, Jeongyeon? I think you owe it to me to give me an explanation.

Jeongyeon exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry,” she said, like it was a reflex. “I don’t really know how to say this or where to even start.”

“Just start _somewhere_ , say _anything_ , Jeong. I just want the truth.”

Jeongyeon’s eyes shifted from Nayeon to her plate and then back to Nayeon, and in a voice so quiet that Nayeon almost didn’t hear, she finally spoke. “I don’t know how else to put it, but I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

Nayeon’s heart sank, fully expecting the worst after Jeongyeon’s warning. “What have you not been honest about?” She braced herself for the truth.

“I’m married.”

Nayeon wasn’t sure what she had expected, but that revelation from Jeongyeon certainly wasn’t it. She felt like she’d been punched in the gut. She’d been played, been strung along and made to think that she was someone special in Jeongyeon’s life, when in reality, she was playing second fiddle to someone much more important—Jeongyeon’s _wife_.

“What do you mean you’re married?” Nayeon repeated, acting like she had misheard, as if Jeongyeon would come out and say she was playing a very cruel practical joke.

“I mean, I’m _technically_ married to someone, but we’re separated now,” Jeongyeon launched into her explanation. “We ended things a few weeks before Christmas—the night before we met, actually. She flew back home to spend the holidays with her family in Japan, but she’s been back for the last couple weeks so that we can settle things, like what we’re doing about the house, our cars, and stuff like that. We’re strictly just tying up loose ends, Nayeon, I swear. For all intents and purposes, I’m divorced.”

Jeongyeon was dumping a lot of information on her, and Nayeon’s brain was overwhelmed trying to make sense of everything Jeongyeon was saying.

“And are you guys actually getting a divorce?” Nayeon wanted verbal confirmation.

“Yeah, we are,” Jeongyeon nodded. “That’s partially why I’ve been MIA these last few weeks. There’s a lot of stuff to work out, but I promise you, it’s going to be over soon, and I’ll be all yours.”

Nayeon was handling the news as well as one could be handling this type of news, up until that last line. _It’s going to be over soon, and I’ll be all yours._ And that’s when it hit Nayeon that Jeongyeon wasn’t hers—never has been. It was that same sinking feeling Nayeon had felt when her exes had dumped her, had told her she wasn’t good enough or that things were no longer working out.

“I’m so sorry, Nayeon,” Jeongyeon offered, and Nayeon thought she detected a hint of sincerity in Jeongyeon’s tone, but she couldn’t know for sure. She had no idea what was real or not anymore. “I’m sorry for lying to you and hurting you. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was scared that you’d think I’m crazy,” _you are_ , Nayeon thought to herself, “and you wouldn’t want to be with me. I just couldn’t have that. ‘Cause the moment I saw you at the bar, I knew there was something special about you, Nayeon. I knew you were different from everyone else.”

 _Different from your wife?_ Nayeon wanted to ask, but she bit her tongue instead.

“So I thought, why not give it a shot with this girl? See what happens,” Jeongyeon continued. “And God, you ended up being more amazing than I ever thought you’d be. Every conversation with you was exciting; I was never bored, Nayeon. And you constantly made me want to be the best version of myself. You changed my life. And I knew pretty early on that I didn’t want to lose you.” Jeongyeon sighed, stopping to take a breath. “I’m so sorry I lied. I should’ve been up front with you from the start. But I promise you, Nayeon. No more hiding things, no more secrets.”

They were all just excuses; Nayeon was well-aware of that. “What about your wife? What if she wants to get back together?”

“No, no,” Jeongyeon shook her head adamantly. “It was Mina’s idea to separate. She has no interest in getting back together.”

If it were possible for Nayeon’s heart to sink further into her chest, then it definitely just did. “Mina?” Nayeon echoed. “The woman from the elevator?”

“Yes, that Mina.” Jeongyeon quickly found a way to justify her ex-wife’s presence. “She and I are continuing divorce negotiations this afternoon. That’s all, I promise.”

It was one curveball being thrown after another, and Nayeon wasn’t sure how much more she could take. “She’s really pretty. I can see why you married her.”

“And I won’t be married to her much longer,” Jeongyeon said firmly. “I want to be with _you_ , Nayeon. Not her.”

Nayeon really wanted to believe that Jeongyeon was telling the truth, but part of her wasn’t entirely convinced. “So what do you want to happen now?”

Jeongyeon looked surprised, probably not expecting that reaction from Nayeon. “Well, I just need a little bit of time to finalize the divorce. So while all that stuff is getting figured out, my lawyer advised me—I told him about you—that we need to keep things on the down low until the papers are signed,” she relayed her lawyer’s words. “He thinks that if Mina finds out about this _affair_ ,” she lowered her voice, “she might try and use this as leverage to get a better arrangement, demand more alimony, all that jazz.”

“So what are you saying?” Nayeon raised a curious eyebrow, trying to ignore the way the name Mina just rolled off Jeongyeon’s tongue.

“It’s not that we can’t see each other. We just have to be more careful,” Jeongyeon suggested.

“So you basically want us to sneak around and not get caught,” Nayeon put the pieces together. She was the other woman, the dirty little secret that Jeongyeon was desperately trying to hide from her wife.

“It’s only going to be for a little bit, only until Mina and I f—”

“Can you stop saying her name?” Nayeon cut Jeongyeon off. “I get she’s your wife and all, but it just sucks hearing her name and being reminded…” she trailed off. _Being reminded of your gorgeous wife who seems perfect in every way_ , she finished the thought in her head. “If you really have to talk about her, just say it’s your roommate or something.”

“Okay,” Jeongyeon agreed. It was the least she could do after dropping this bombshell on Nayeon. “I can do that.”

“And I don’t want you coming over to my apartment anymore,” Nayeon blurted out. “I just don’t think it’s right. Well, this whole thing isn’t, but at least give me this.” She looked away from Jeongyeon and focused instead on other restaurant patrons, not a single clue about the conversation transpiring only a few yards away from them. “Just… find somewhere else.”

“Okay,” Jeongyeon acquiesced to Nayeon’s demands, which wasn’t asking much in the grand scheme of things. “We’ll make it work.”

The frown on Nayeon’s face still hadn’t left. Jeongyeon’s confession had left her in a trance, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to carry on with the rest of her day having learned this new information.

“Again, I’m really sorry, babe.” Nayeon internally cringed at Jeongyeon’s use of the pet name. “I should’ve handled the situation better. I promise I’m going to do better.”

“I hope so.”

––

It took Nayeon some time to adjust to their new situation. Whereas before they spent several lazy mornings in bed after a night together, now everything was a rush. Jeongyeon would book a hotel room for the two of them, but would only stay for a couple hours and would _never_ spend the night, leaving Nayeon to wake up alone after every rendezvous.

Oftentimes, the only free time Jeongyeon had was in the middle of the day, so Nayeon would rush from one side of Seoul to the other to meet Jeongyeon during their lunch hour. Sometimes they ate, but mostly, they spent their limited time together unleashing whatever sexual frustration they had built up since the last time they saw each other.

Ironically enough, they were seeing each other more now, after they established their arrangement, which was a welcome change in Nayeon’s eyes. She just needed to get used to the fact that she was the mistress in this situation—the “bad guy.”

Nayeon had told Jihyo about the situation, and to no one’s surprise, Jihyo had vehemently opposed the arrangement. “You deserve so much better, Nayeon. You don’t need someone like her, someone who would lie to your face like that for months. Forget about her,” Jihyo had told her, her fiery tone signaling how livid she was.

Nayeon, as stubborn as ever, tried to rationalize her decision to stay with Jeongyeon and justify the “sneaking around.” Jihyo wasn’t having it.

So Nayeon had been forced to lie to her best friend, for Jihyo’s sake. Whenever she was meeting Jeongyeon, Nayeon would come up with a creative excuse to sneak away. She wasn’t sure if Jihyo entirely believed her, but her friend wasn’t stopping her. Today was no different.

_Yoo Jeongyeon [2:42 pm]: Just tell Jihyo you’re going out for a run._

The excuse worked like a charm.

Within a half hour, Nayeon’s back was hitting the mattress of the hotel bed, and Jeongyeon was crawling on top of her, eagerly devouring her mouth in a hungry kiss. They’d learned how to be efficient—knew exactly how to strip themselves of all clothing in a matter of minutes, knew where to place their hands and mouths to bring each other to the edge in a short window of time.

And if Nayeon were being completely honest with herself, the quick, rushed sex was just as good, if not better, than what they’d been doing before.

––

_Yoo Jeongyeon [2:58 pm]: Go to the office underground parking garage. I parked my car four levels down. I’ll meet you there in half an hour._

Nayeon didn’t even ask questions anymore. Like clockwork, she made sure she was in that parking garage at 3:30.

Nayeon allowed Jeongyeon to pull her into the car, the pair settling in the backseat with Nayeon sitting on Jeongyeon’s lap, legs wrapped around the blonde’s waist.

“I told them I needed to clear my head, get some fresh air. That should buy us about 20 minutes or so,” Jeongyeon quickly explained before burying her face in Nayeon’s neck.

Nayeon answered by sliding her hands across Jeongyeon’s abdomen, her fingers finding Jeongyeon’s belt and hastily unbuckling it. “Works for me.”

––

“Who’s that?” Nayeon didn’t even hesitate to ask Jeongyeon, who was laying beside her in the hotel bed, a small smile on her face.

“Oh, it’s just work stuff. Business,” Jeongyeon tried to shrug it off, but Nayeon was in a fighting mood and she didn’t want to just let it go.

“Is it your roommate?” Nayeon asked, although she knew the probable answer.

Jeongyeon hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, “Yeah, it’s her.”

“I didn’t know you two still texted,” Nayeon remarked. “Isn’t it kind of weird to still be talking with your ex?”

“Well, just because we’re no longer going to be living together as roommates,” Jeongyeon extended the metaphor, “doesn’t mean we have to hate each other. I want things to end on good terms.”

The fact that Jeongyeon and her ex-wife were texting so freely made Nayeon a bit uneasy, but she felt powerless. She had a feeling that Jeongyeon wouldn’t stop, even if she asked.

“As long as you don’t end up back together with her,” Nayeon joked, earning an amused chuckle from Jeongyeon.

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

––

“What do you mean you’re going to dinner with her?” Nayeon half-shouted in disbelief.

“I’m not going to dinner with just her. It’s a business deal we negotiated together, and the investors invited us out and they want to discuss some of the finer points,” Jeongyeon tried to explain away her behavior.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her lately—a lot of long days at the office and late nights ‘finalizing the divorce’ and ‘doing business’ together,” Nayeon formed air quotes with her fingers, “and it’s a lot for two people who apparently have no interest in each other.”

“Come on, babe. There’s nothing going on between her and me. I promise.” Jeongyeon sighed. “Please stop worrying for no reason.”

“Can you at least give me a call after dinner or when you get home?” Nayeon made a simple request.

“Of course, baby. I can do that.” And Nayeon believed her.

That night, Nayeon fell asleep to dead silence, Jeongyeon’s promised call nowhere to be found. 

The following morning, Nayeon awoke to a text.

_Yoo Jeongyeon [5:46 am]: Hey, I’m sorry I didn’t call last night. Dinner lasted forever! By the time I got home, I was so exhausted so I just passed out._

Nayeon didn’t even bother to reply.

––

“Do you think she’s really going to leave her wife?” Jihyo posed the question. “You guys have been running around in secret for, what it is now, a couple months? Are you sure they’re really finalizing their divorce?”

“I don’t know,” Nayeon responded honestly. “I hope so.”

But she had every reason to doubt it, especially when Jeongyeon seemed to be spending more and more time with Mina. The two of them seemed to be _friends_ now, and as much as Nayeon hated it, she didn’t think she had a right to tell Jeongyeon who she could or couldn’t see. After all, she was just the sidepiece. She didn’t _really_ exist in Jeongyeon’s life. No one important knew who she was. She was simply the secret Jeongyeon had decided to keep buried.

“I hope so too, Nayeon.” Jihyo sighed. “For your sake.”

––

“You should probably eat some breakfast before you go,” Nayeon suggested, reaching for the leather-bound menu sitting on the mahogany nightstand. “The hotel reservation came with free room service. I knew you being a rewards member would eventually pay off.” She offered a small smile.

“Nah, I’m good,” Jeongyeon declined the invitation, not even bothering to spare a glance at the brunette in bed, focusing instead on fastening the buttons on her white button-up shirt.

“You sure?” Nayeon asked again. “Their avocado toast is actually really tasty,” she made another pitch for breakfast—anything to get just a little more time with the blonde who was now fixated on smoothing out the wrinkles on her shirt.

“The avo toast’s all yours.” This time, Jeongyeon was kind enough to spare her a look and a less-than-enthusiastic smile. “Let me know if it’s just as good as you remember it.”

Disappointed that an offer of free food wasn’t enough to entice Jeongyeon, Nayeon resorted to Plan B: trying to prolong their conversation. “You have that big presentation today, right?” she feigned uncertainty, not wanting to seem too invested in the other woman’s life—a difficult task when, in fact, she _was_ invested.

“Yup, keep your fingers crossed that it goes well. Otherwise, all these long nights at the office over the last few months will have been for nothing.” Jeongyeon bent down to pick up the navy blazer Nayeon remembered yanking off the previous night, hastily discarding it without a care for where it landed. “Do you know where my tie went?”

“Is it not on the floor over there?” Nayeon clutched the bedsheets, holding them tightly against her bare chest so that she wouldn’t be exposed, not that it mattered. Jeongyeon had already seen everything, kissed every single nook and cranny of Nayeon’s body she could reach, and six hours later, Nayeon’s body still felt like it was on fire.

“No,” Jeongyeon shook her head, walking over to examine the area right by Nayeon. “Honestly, I don’t even remember taking it off.”

But Nayeon does. She can envision clearly her restless fingers undoing the knot of Jeongyeon’s tie, can see Jeongyeon taking the silk fabric and looping it around Nayeon’s wrist, _smirking_ , and tying her to the—

“Bedpost,” Jeongyeon interrupted Nayeon’s train of thoughts, the finer details of last night’s activities probably resurfacing in her brain.

Jeongyeon leaned down, touching the spot where her tie had once been, securing Nayeon in place. “It’s not here,” she sighed. “I’m just going to have to go without it.”

Jeongyeon was already turning around to leave when Nayeon, instincts kicking in, reached for her hand, stopping the blonde in her tracks. Jeongyeon raised a curious eyebrow, as if to silently ask why Nayeon was holding her up. And Nayeon took full advantage of the momentary pause, tugging Jeongyeon’s hand to coax her back to bed, fully expecting to be met with resistance.

But there was none.

There was only lips crashing against each other, needy mouths fueled by an insatiable hunger that left both women wanting more. There was only frantic hands—Nayeon’s sliding up Jeongyeon’s torso and gripping the taller girl’s neck, Jeongyeon’s diving beneath the covers to ascend the brunette’s thigh.

There was only Jeongyeon leaving a trail of searing hot kisses on Nayeon’s jawline, neck, and collarbone. There was only silence, except for the guttural moans Jeongyeon was eliciting from Nayeon, the combined onslaught of her mouth and hands enough to turn Nayeon into a messy pool of emotions—pure bliss on one hand and the shame of forbidden feelings on the other.

There was only Nayeon and Jeongyeon and uncertainty as to where their bodies began and end.

It’s over just as quickly as it had started, typical of their trysts.

“Now, I’m really running late,” Jeongyeon muttered, getting dressed again, this time at double-speed.

“Oops, sorry,” Nayeon apologized, but there was no trace of remorse in her tone.”

“Uh huh, I can feel your sincerity,” Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. “If this deal falls through…”

“Give me a call and I’ll cheer you up tonight,” Nayeon smiled. “And if everything goes according to plan, give me a call and we’ll celebrate.”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know,” Jeongyeon nodded, heading for the door. “My roommate might be back in town tonight.”

Nayeon’s heart sank. Roommate was their code word for Jeongyeon’s wife who was often out of town on business trips, making it much easier for them to schedule these clandestine meetings. But if she was back tonight, then Nayeon could kiss seeing Jeongyeon later that day goodbye.

“That’s fine. I’m meeting some friends for dinner anyway, and you know how those things get dragged out,” Nayeon flat-out lied. She had no plans, and even if she did, she would cancel them, just in case Jeongyeon decided to call. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” Jeongyeon smiled, opening the door. “You should go out more. Meet new people.”

“Yeah, probably,” Nayeon nodded, though every bit of her was completely against the idea. She didn’t need to meet anyone new; she already had someone she wanted.

“I really have to run now,” Jeongyeon had one foot out the door. “I’ll text you.”

But Nayeon knew that wasn’t true either. Nayeon always initiated everything.

Still, it wasn’t worth raising the issue to risk getting into an argument with Jeongyeon.

“Bye, Jeong,” Nayeon called out, but it was too late.

The door had already slammed shut and Jeongyeon was already gone, and as Nayeon fished out Jeongyeon’s crumpled-up navy blue tie from underneath her pillow—the one she had gotten Jeongyeon for Christmas—she was left to wonder how she could feel like she had lost someone who was never hers.

––

Nayeon was no legal expert, but even she knew that divorce proceedings didn’t take this long, especially when the two parties didn’t seem to hate each other. Given how amicable Jeongyeon and Mina were with each other, it couldn’t be possible that they hadn’t reached an agreement on dividing their marital assets.

But Jeongyeon assured her that she still had every intention of leaving Mina and being with Nayeon. “We’re just having trouble selling our property in Jeju, but once the house there is sold, we’ll be able to split the profits. Everything will be good to go,” Jeongyeon told her. Jeongyeon seemed to have an excuse for everything.

Nayeon didn’t even bother to question her, instead proceeding to do what she did best, which was to kiss Jeongyeon senseless and make both of them forget how fucked up their situation was.

Twenty minutes later, Nayeon was slipping her underwear back on, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress. Jeongyeon was doing the same with her dress shirt, the consequences of a midday quickie in Jeongyeon’s office evident in their disheveled clothes and unkempt hair.

“Damn, I needed that,” Jeongyeon spoke first, to which Nayeon answered with a carefully practiced smile.

“Happy to be of service.”

Jeongyeon walked over to where Nayeon stood, and as if their lips hadn’t been glued to each other’s just now, Jeongyeon dove back in for another kiss. To Nayeon, this one was reminiscent of their earlier kisses—slow and unhurried. And it brought Nayeon back to a simpler time—when it was just her and Jeongyeon enjoying each other’s company, free from the burdens of an illicit affair. She desperately wished they could be like that again.

“Make sure nobody sees you leave,” Jeongyeon warned her when she finally broke the kiss, and just like that, Nayeon was reminded of where they stand now, so far away from the earlier days of their relationship.

“I got it,” Nayeon answered robotically, used to the routine they had devised. “Don’t worry. I’m basically like a ghost. I don’t exist.”

––

“What do you mean you’re out of town that day? It’s our 6-month anniversary, Jeongyeon!” Nayeon yelled over the phone.

Nayeon could hear Jeongyeon saying words, but none of them were sticking in Nayeon’s brain. Excuses, excuses, excuses—that’s all they were, and Nayeon was done listening to them.

“I can’t do this anymore, Jeongyeon. We’re done,” Nayeon finally spoke the words that were long overdue.

She didn’t even bother to listen to the next lie Jeongyeon would undoubtedly tell her, hanging up the phone and turning the device off, needing to cut herself off from the world completely.

––

Jeongyeon texted and called multiple times a day every single day for a few weeks, but even someone as stubborn as her had their limits. Eventually, the texts and calls stopped, and Nayeon’s phone could finally breathe.

And so could Nayeon.

––

Nayeon thought that losing Jeongyeon would get easier as time passed, but as month after month came and went, she quickly realized that getting over Jeongyeon wouldn’t be that easy.

She saw Jeongyeon everywhere she went—the places they frequented were now off-limits because they only made her heart hurt, the songs they listened to together deleted from her music library, and the memories they shared now tucked away into a corner of her mind that she had no intention of ever accessing.

But it was nearly impossible for her to rid herself of all things that reminded her of Jeongyeon. She had to at least try though because Jeongyeon had most likely moved on, whether it was with Mina or some other woman. And Nayeon was probably just a blip on Jeongyeon’s radar, quickly forgotten.

––

It’s almost a year since the night they first met at the bar, and Nayeon was celebrating the anniversary of their first encounter by curling up in bed with a good book.

It was crazy to think that twelve months ago, she had met someone that would change her life. And although things hadn’t worked out with Jeongyeon, she had learned so much about life, love, and most importantly, herself. She understood her self-worth now and knew better than to settle for less than she deserved. And for these lessons, Nayeon was grateful to Jeongyeon for teaching her.

Nayeon was lost in her thoughts, reflecting on the year behind her—the good and the bad—when she heard a knock on her door. Except for Jihyo, she rarely ever had any visitors. Cautiously, Nayeon walked to her front door and pulled the door open to reveal…

“Jeongyeon,” Nayeon gasped, the surprise evident in her tone and face.

“Nayeon,” Jeongyeon greeted her, looking the same as ever—hair perfectly swept and button-up meticulously ironed to be free of wrinkles. “May I come in?”

“Uh, sure,” Nayeon moved out of the doorway so that Jeongyeon could step inside, shutting the door once the blonde was inside. “So, uh, what brings you here?”

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Jeongyeon commented, pointing out the addition of new pictures to the walls and fairy lights for decoration. “It definitely feels more homey.”

“Did you really come here to compliment my interior design skills?” Nayeon folded her arms over her chest, leaning against her kitchen counter.

“Uh, no, of course not.” Jeongyeon shook her head. “I’m, uh, actually here to show you this.” She reached for her inner jacket pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and then unraveling it. Once she had finished smoothing out the paper’s wrinkles, Jeongyeon held it up for Nayeon to see.

“The divorce was finalized,” Nayeon gathered from the paper and was shocked that it actually did happen.

“Yeah, it took a long time, but we finally got things sorted out. It was a long time coming.” Jeongyeon mustered a small smile.

“Well, I’m happy for you. Congrats, Jeong.” It was instinct to call Jeongyeon by her nickname, and it was a habit that Nayeon had yet to grow out of. 

“I also wanted to give you this,” Jeongyeon added, reaching for the small plastic bag she had taken to Nayeon’s and pulling out an unopened tub of vanilla ice cream. “I realized I never paid you back for making that mess on the floor.

“It’s okay,” Nayeon chuckled as she took the ice cream container into her hands, stashing it in her freezer and saving it for another day. “I’ve forgiven you.”

“Have you really?” Jeongyeon asked

“For the ice cream, yes. For all the fucked up shit you put me through? Questionable.”

“Alright, I deserved that,” Jeongyeon conceded.

“I’m still trying to figure out what I did wrong for you to treat me like shit,” Nayeon admitted.

“I honestly didn’t mean to string you along,” Jeongyeon started her explanation. “I had every intention of ending things with Mina quickly and focusing on us, believe me.”

“It’s hard to believe anything you say at this point,” Nayeon pointed out.

“I know, and you have every reason to doubt the truthfulness of everything I say from now on. But I’m telling you now.” Jeongyeon sighed. “It was hard. Mina was my first love, the only woman I had ever loved before you, and I watched as my marriage with her fell apart. I tried everything I could to save it, but she wanted nothing to do with me. And that’s when we separated. At that point, I didn’t think I’d be able to move on. I didn’t _want_ to.”

“But then what?”

“But then I met you, and you just completely blew me away. And you made it easy to forget about her. And I can’t pinpoint when exactly it happened, but after a while, I stopped thinking about her. I only wanted you. I saw a future with _you_.”

“So why didn’t you try to have a future with me?”

“It’s dumb, but when she came back after being away for the holidays, I got swept back in. I think I was trying so hard to hold on to those good feelings I associated with the beginning of our relationship, that I didn’t let myself move on and be happy with you.” Jeongyeon let out a heavy sigh. “I was stupid for not seeing that I had something amazing right in front of me.”

Nayeon re-folded her hands over her chest. “You had me, Jeongyeon. I was all yours, and you just… didn’t take it.” She shook her head. “And looking back on it now, I’m thinking, wow, you made me a mess. You made me look like a total idiot. It took me a long time to get over you because I didn’t think I could find anyone like you,” she admitted. In her black-and-white world, Jeongyeon had shown her colors she couldn’t see with anyone else, taught her a secret language that no one else could speak.

“I know, Nayeon, and I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“You told me lie after lie after lie, and I saw all the red flags, but I just couldn’t bring myself to pull away from you and save myself.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeongyeon repeated. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“You don’t,” Nayeon quickly agreed.

“And that’s fine. I just wanted to give you the explanation you deserved and to apologize again.” Jeongyeon glanced a door. “I should probably get going. I’ve already taken up too much of your time.”

“Wait!” Nayeon called out. “Before you go, I just want to ask. You said Mina’s the only woman you’ve ever loved before me. Is that true? Did you love me?”

Without hesitation, Jeongyeon answered, “I still do.”

Nayeon’s breath hitched at the revelation, and she was at a loss on how to respond. Without saying a word, she took a few steps toward Jeongyeon, searching the blonde’s eyes as if the proper reaction to a confession of love was hidden there.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive you, but maybe with time, I might,” Nayeon began. “I was in love with you, Jeongyeon. That’s not something you can just get over, and it’s certainly not something _I’ve_ been able to get over.” She saw Jeongyeon’s eyes light up, the slightest hint of hope apparent in her facial expression.

“But I’m nowhere near ready to date you. I don’t trust you with my heart,” Nayeon poured out her honest emotions, not sparing Jeongyeon’s feelings at the cost of her own.

“But I’m willing to give this another shot. I want us to start from the beginning, like we’re meeting each other for the first time, and get to know each other all over again. And this time, no more lies and secrets. Just be honest with me, Jeongyeon. I want to get to know _you_ , the real you. And maybe from there, we can slowly build a friendship and maybe something more than that. Who knows?”

It wasn’t the craziest idea ever, and Jeongyeon seemed to be on board, nodding her head in approval of Nayeon’s plan. “Okay, let’s do this right the second time around.”

––

“Three shots of soju, please,” Nayeon flagged down the bartender and placed her order.

“Must’ve been a really shitty week for you to order more shots than you have hands for.” Nayeon turned her head and was met by a sharp-dressed woman in a well-tailored suit, her short, blonde hair perfectly framing her small face.

“It’s a long story. Don’t even get me started,” Nayeon warned. Between Jeongyeon’s return to her life and everything else going on at work, there were definitely plenty of reasons to drink. 

“That’s okay. I have time,” Jeongyeon, as she would later introduce herself to Nayeon, replied with a smirk. 

“Buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Nayeon flashed a smile.

“I’ll buy you _two_.” Jeongyeon held up her right middle and index fingers. “I want to know everything.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> I've had Folklore on repeat ever since it came out, so this is really just me scratching an author's itch. And who could object to more 2yeon content?


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